'Irish Travelers' member implicated in scam of elderly woman

Published: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 7:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 7:44 p.m.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office has charged a North Augusta man believed to be part of the “Irish Travelers” in connection with the theft of more than $5,000 worth of jewelry from an elderly woman in Spartanburg in 2011.

Tommy Martin Riley, 56, of 78 Dupriest Circle, has been charged with second-degree burglary and grand larceny, according to arrest warrants.

Irish Travelers often scam people through home improvement schemes such as house painting, roofing or paving driveways, and move from town to town to avoid law enforcement.

Investigators say Riley and another man, Michael Phillip O'Hara, 24, of 24 Blanche Drive, North Augusta, went to the home of an 83-year-old woman's home in Spartanburg on Sept. 14, 2011, posing as a flooring salesmen.

Lt. Tony Ivey said in a written statement that the men “conned their way into the victim's home.”

One of the men showed the woman flooring samples, while the other went into her bedroom and took between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of jewelry, Ivey said.

Investigators were soon able to identify these two individuals as suspects in this case, with both men known to law enforcement agencies across the eastern United States, Ivey said.

Investigators sent out information on Riley and O'Hara to precious metal purchasing companies across the country. On Jan. 19, authorities say Riley entered a business that buys gold in Lexington, Ky., in an attempt to sell gold.

The business was aware of Riley from the memo they had received from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and was able to stall him long enough for local law enforcement to arrive and arrest him, Ivey said.

Riley is expected to arrive at the Spartanburg County Detention Facility sometime overnight, Ivey said.

O'Hara is also charged with second-degree burglary and grand larceny in the case, but has not been arrested. Anyone with information on O'Hara's whereabouts may call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC.

<p>The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office has charged a North Augusta man believed to be part of the “Irish Travelers” in connection with the theft of more than $5,000 worth of jewelry from an elderly woman in Spartanburg in 2011.</p><p>Tommy Martin Riley, 56, of 78 Dupriest Circle, has been charged with second-degree burglary and grand larceny, according to arrest warrants.</p><p>Irish Travelers often scam people through home improvement schemes such as house painting, roofing or paving driveways, and move from town to town to avoid law enforcement.</p><p>Investigators say Riley and another man, Michael Phillip O'Hara, 24, of 24 Blanche Drive, North Augusta, went to the home of an 83-year-old woman's home in Spartanburg on Sept. 14, 2011, posing as a flooring salesmen.</p><p>Lt. Tony Ivey said in a written statement that the men “conned their way into the victim's home.”</p><p>One of the men showed the woman flooring samples, while the other went into her bedroom and took between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of jewelry, Ivey said.</p><p>Investigators were soon able to identify these two individuals as suspects in this case, with both men known to law enforcement agencies across the eastern United States, Ivey said.</p><p>Investigators sent out information on Riley and O'Hara to precious metal purchasing companies across the country. On Jan. 19, authorities say Riley entered a business that buys gold in Lexington, Ky., in an attempt to sell gold.</p><p>The business was aware of Riley from the memo they had received from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and was able to stall him long enough for local law enforcement to arrive and arrest him, Ivey said.</p><p>Riley is expected to arrive at the Spartanburg County Detention Facility sometime overnight, Ivey said.</p><p>O'Hara is also charged with second-degree burglary and grand larceny in the case, but has not been arrested. Anyone with information on O'Hara's whereabouts may call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC.</p>